Spring Pilgrimage: A Personal Quest

In The Canterbury Tales, Chaucer writes that the month of April is the time when folks long to go on pilgrimages, because Nature makes them restless, stirring up a desire to go to strange places and see strange things. Perhaps you too are feeling this calling, a desire to go beyond the edges of your familiar world.

There are many ways to go on a pilgrimage. The most obvious, and perhaps the most delightful, is to visit a sacred site, either far away or in your neighborhood. If you’re not aware of any sacred sites in your neighborhood, make inquiries or let your intuition guide you. Look for places that you feel attracted to when you think of being outdoors in a reflective state or a celebratory mood.

Or create a simple pilgrimage by undertaking a journey with the intention of making it a spiritual quest. Visit a nearby labyrinth, stroll through a local park, or walk around your block with a sacred intent. As with any pilgrimage, prepare ahead of time by considering a question you wish to have answered or a theme you want to dwell upon.

Waverly Fitzgerald is a writer, teacher, and calendar priestess who has studied the lore of holidays and the secrets of time for decades. She shares her research and her thoughts on her Living in Season website and in her book, Slow Time. She is currently working on a series of essays about looking for nature in the city and blogs for the Seattle PI as the “Urban Naturalist.”

About Amber Lotus Publishing

We plant trees — over half a million and growing! Amber Lotus Publishing is proud to be a carbon-negative independent publisher with a dedication to environmental stewardship. Based in Portland, Oregon, Amber Lotus works with an extraordinary collection of artists and authors such as Alex Grey, Chris Burkard, Eckhart Tolle, Pema Chödrön, Thich Nhat Hanh, Louise Hay, Katie Daisy, Kinuko Y. Craft, Ram Dass, and more! We create calendars and greeting cards that illuminate the sacred dimensions of everyday life — mindfulness, healthy lifestyles, and earth awareness. We strive to consistently offer products that are authentic and distinctive to bring you a sense of the eternal by nurturing your heart, renewing your soul, and expanding your mind.